Cold Hardware

[joe97yo]

So I moved my old crap kit to a friends house for practice. We practice out in an unheated shed. During practice, we run an electric space heater, but the rest of the time it's friggen' cold in there. I'm not worried about the kit or cymbals, but will the cold harm my pedals or hi-hat stand in any way, shape, or form?

 

As a side note, this is the kit with the CB700 snare I vented. It sounds better than I expected, like a nice dry steel tone.

[ermghoti II]

The hardware is literally the last thing I would worry about. Steel tubes and rods are going to be quite unaffected by cold temperature. You ever see a car fall apart because it's wintery out?

[marko46]

I'd watch hitting your cymbals. I've cracked an EFX last winter and I'm sure it was because it was cold in the old school we used to rent and I got in a hurry.

I've also noticed that I need to check my tuning more regularly.

[joe97yo]

. You ever see a car fall apart because it's wintery out?

 

An excellent point...thanks guys.

[cale76]

Yeah, cold cymbals are super easy to crack, everything gets more brittle in the cold. If you're going to play in a shed that is generally unheated, on the days that you are practicing you should have your friend turn on the space heater, assuming that you're not worried its going to burn the place down, several hours before you practice, that way you don't have to worry about waiting for cymbals and drum heads to not be quite so cold and brittle.

[jenksdrummer]

Amazing...this time last year I said the same thing and everyone jumped my ass about how cold doesn't affect cymbals, even thoguh I managed to crack 2.

 

[marko46]

I don't think I would have said that, but you may prove wrong w/ a search. I've certainly said dummer {censored} than that.

[jwideman]

Keep in mind, also, that brass is very sensitive to changes in temperature. Even if the cymbals don't break, they may not sound good.

[boxofrocks]

I'd wprry about moisture when they start to heat up, when I bring in my stands from the car on a cold night, they get covered in condensation, and would rust if I didn't hit all the metal on my stuff with turtle wax.

Yeah seriously, an old trick I learned from my grandpa, who has the same machines in his workshop he got at my age, he's almost 90 and not a spot of rust to be found. It works.. Once a year coat everything metal in turtle wax.

[polarnewfie]

 

Keep in mind, also, that brass is very sensitive to changes in temperature. Even if the cymbals don't break, they may not sound good.

 

 

Unless they are no-name cymbals with a drumset name stencilled on them, then aren't they made of BRONZE?? Just an observation, as the last time I played brass cymbals, I was 12 years old.

[marko46]

 

I'd wprry about moisture when they start to heat up, when I bring in my stands from the car on a cold night, they get covered in condensation, and would rust if I didn't hit all the metal on my stuff with turtle wax. Yeah seriously, an old trick I learned from my grandpa, who has the same machines in his workshop he got at my age, he's almost 90 and not a spot of rust to be found. It works.. Once a year coat everything metal in turtle wax.

 

 

Does that stuff really come from turtles, as in crushing/grinding or squeezing of multiple turtles? Do they use baby turtles, (which is a little harsh- think baby harp seal)? Or is there a turtle workforce and the recipe for the wax is handed down from turtle to turtle? Either way way due to turtle speed, or lack there of, they really don't stand a chance if they G, C, or Sq, Pita should be monitoring this. If there are factories with turtle workforces, they almost have to be hourly or salary. Paying by piece work wouldn't work very well as I'm guessing a teaspoon of wax a day per turtle is about all one turtle manager could expect due to their lightening speed. Although, there may be turtle IT's and a turtle R&D which may have implenented automated systems. Be funny if they called it "Hare".

 

Just sayin'.

Gonna be one of those days.

marko

[jwideman]

 

Unless they are no-name cymbals with a drumset name stencilled on them, then aren't they made of BRONZE?? Just an observation, as the last time I played brass cymbals, I was 12 years old.

 

 

He did say it was his old crap kit, so it seemed fair to assume brass.

[jenksdrummer]

 

I don't think I would have said that, but you may prove wrong w/ a search. I've certainly said dummer {censored} than that.

 

 

I wasn't pointing the finger at anyone, I don't remember who said what, other than there seemed to have been a consensus drawn that said that cold won't cause my cymbals to crack any more than room temperature would.

[jenksdrummer]

 

I'd wprry about moisture when they start to heat up, when I bring in my stands from the car on a cold night, they get covered in condensation, and would rust if I didn't hit all the metal on my stuff with turtle wax. Yeah seriously, an old trick I learned from my grandpa, who has the same machines in his workshop he got at my age, he's almost 90 and not a spot of rust to be found. It works.. Once a year coat everything metal in turtle wax.

 

 

Good quality chrome won't rust. There's a lot of chrome on my motorcycle, and it don't rust.

[jenksdrummer]

Unless they are no-name cymbals with a drumset name stencilled on them, then aren't they made of BRONZE?? Just an observation, as the last time I played brass cymbals, I was 12 years old.

 

Bronze is only a samll step away from brass

 

Either way, metals in general don't handle being pounded in cold temps very well...

[JohnCav]

I wouldnt worry too much about the hardware. Id personally be worried more about my pies and shells.

[polarnewfie]

Bronze is only a samll step away from brass Either way, metals in general don't handle being pounded in cold temps very well...

 

In metalurgical makeup ...yes they are close, in sound, they are galaxies away.

But I agree, metals are more brittle and less flexible in cold. I have broken 1 cymbal in an unheated shed. Yet while playing for over 25 years, I have never broken any other cymbals.